Blue River City was merely a tier-3 city in the vast Jiangnan region. It lacked the towering skyscrapers and overwhelming spiritual qi density of tier-1 or tier-2 metropolises, yet it still possessed a few symbols of luxury that attracted the attention of the wealthy. One such landmark was the Grand Riverside Mall, a massive commercial complex owned by rich young masters from higher-tier cities. These tycoons treated Blue River City as nothing more than a playground for their investments and poured money into opulent venues where ordinary citizens could only window-shop in awe.
Today, Aunt Zhang found herself stepping into this extravagant world for the first time.
She had come here with a heavy heart.
She knew her son, Lin Yuan, was supposed to meet Jia Wen today.
The girl had been furious with him for an entire week, and Aunt Zhang could already imagine the storm awaiting him. Jia Wen might even demand that Lin Yuan repay every single money she had spent on Aunt Zhang's treatment during her stage-four cancer ordeal.
The thought made Aunt Zhang's chest tighten with guilt and helplessness.
'If I can talk to Jia Wen and beg her to see reason… then perhaps she won't break up with Yuan'er or demand the money back. After all, she is still paying for his university tuition and textbooks. Without her support, how would my son even continue his studies?'
Aunt Zhang hated this reality with every fiber of her being. She, a mother, could not provide for her own child. The long illness had left her unable to work and forced Lin Yuan to rely entirely on Jia Wen. She had always known that the girl treated her son like a disposable servant, a liability she could scold and order around at will. Yet Aunt Zhang had remained silent, terrified that any protest would only make Jia Wen angrier and cause even greater suffering for her son.
Taking a deep breath, Aunt Zhang walked into the mall like a lost country bumpkin. Her eyes widened at the dazzling crystal chandeliers, polished marble floors, and endless rows of luxury boutiques. She had always assumed such places only sold expensive clothes and jewelry… things far beyond her reach. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that even fresh cabbages, imported spirit fruits, and premium desserts were displayed here in elegant glass cases. Surely, their prices would be enough to make an ordinary family's monthly income vanish in an instant.
She wandered around in a daze, feeling completely out of place, until her gaze finally landed on a familiar figure.
Jia Wen sat elegantly at a premium café table near the fountain plaza, crossing her long, slender legs. She wore a tight, low-cut red dress that perfectly accentuated her curvaceous figure—full, proud breasts, a narrow waist, and shapely hips that drew envious glances from men passing by. Her face was exquisitely made up, with sharp siren eyes, plump red lips, and long wavy hair cascading over her shoulders.
She held her phone high, pouting seductively while recording a short video for her social media.
Aunt Zhang gathered her courage and walked over.
"Jia Wen, child…"
Jia Wen did not even glance at her and continued to adjust her angle for the perfect shot.
Aunt Zhang tried again with the same soft voice.
"Jia Wen…"
"Shut up!"
Jia Wen snapped without looking away from her phone.
"Can't you see I'm filming? So noisy!"
Aunt Zhang immediately bowed her head.
"I'm sorry…"
After taking several more pictures and posting them with a satisfied cat-faced smirk, Jia Wen finally lowered her phone. Her eyes swept over Aunt Zhang and she froze for a split second.
The woman standing before her looked noticeably younger with skin smooth, posture straight and full of vitality. A faint, powerful cultivation aura lingered around her which was something that should have been impossible for an ordinary mortal who had just recovered from terminal cancer.
'How…?'
Jia Wen's couldn't rest.
'Lin Yuan's family has no cultivation background at all. How did this old woman recover so completely? And why does she suddenly look like she has stepped into the path of cultivation?'
Jia Wen's expression quickly turned ugly.
She squeezed her delicately made-up face into a sneer.
"I know why you came. You want to talk about that useless Lin Yuan again, don't you?"
Aunt Zhang's face paled.
"Please don't say such harsh words about my son. He is working hard at university. One day he will make surely something of himself and repay your kindness—"
"Repay?"
Jia Wen cut her off with a shrill laugh.
"You old hag, shut your mouth! When that trash gets here, both of you mother and son will suffer! Who do you think you are? I am no longer on the same level as you lowly pigs. Don't get in the way of my future or my money-making!"
Aunt Zhang remained calm despite the humiliation.
"Jia Wen, never forget one's roots. Even you came from a small village back then…"
Those words were like pouring oil on fire.
"You dare lecture me?!"
Jia Wen's face twisted with rage.
She suddenly shoved Aunt Zhang hard.
Thud!
Aunt Zhang stumbled backward and fell to the cold marble floor, eyes wide with shock.
Jia Wen stood over her, pointing furiously.
"Old woman, you really don't know your place! How dare you mention my past?!"
Just then, rapid footsteps sounded in the plaza.
Lin Yuan had arrived.
The moment he saw his mother on the ground with Jia Wen shouting at her, his face darkened. He rushed forward and gently helped Aunt Zhang to her feet.
"Mom, are you alright?"
Jia Wen rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Tsk, look who finally showed up. Pathetic loser that lusts after swan meat. Don't you dare speak to me in that tone again. Your mother said you've 'improved' but you still look exactly like the same poor trash. No car, no wealth, nothing. What can you even offer me?"
Lin Yuan stayed silent since he cared more about his mother's wellbeing than the rants of a woman he suspected to be mad.
"Mom, let's go."
Aunt Zhang hurriedly tried to smooth things over.
"Yuan'er, there's no need to fight. Jia Wen didn't mean to push me. Let's talk peacefully—"
"I did mean it!"
Jia Wen shouted triumphantly.
"And there's nothing you can do about it! I am now the woman of a far more capable man. He comes from a small but wealthy clan under the Martial God Hall. His uncle holds an important political position in Jiangnan. In the future, I will stand at the peak while you two remain nothing but pigs living in the dirtiest corner of Blue River City!"
She laughed arrogantly.
"My wedding will be grand… luxury cars, top cultivators as guests, everything you can never dream of!"
Lin Yuan sighed deeply.
He stared like how a disappointed teacher would look at their student.
"I always thought you were the smart one in this relationship. It seems I was wrong."
His words instantly provoked Jia Wen's guards.
The two burly men stepped forward menacingly as they prepared to strike.
At that exact moment—
Vroom! Vroom! Vroom!
The booming roar of multiple luxury engines broke the mall's elegant atmosphere.
Outside the grand entrance, two separate convoys of ultra-luxurious cars rolled in from opposite wings of Blue River City. These were vehicles so extravagant that even tier-2 cities in Jiangnan rarely saw them… limited-edition sedans, custom black Maybachs reinforced with array formations, and sleek Rolls-Royce phantoms glowing so much one could tell they were polished by slaves.
Countless shoppers stopped in their tracks just to stare in awe and disbelief.
From one convoy stepped Murong Xue with her fiery red hair tied in an elegant high ponytail while she wore a form-fitting black dress that highlighted her tall, athletic figure and proud aura.
From the other convoy emerged was Su Wan'er who dressed in a soft white designer outfit that accentuated her delicate, ethereal beauty and graceful curves.
Both women had set aside their usual immortal robes for these stylish modern clothes, yet their peerless appearances still radiated with charm that made everyone around them feel inferior.
Their respective guards immediately positioned themselves protectively.
Murong Xue waved her hand coldly.
"Ignore these insignificant reptiles. Focus on reaching my future mother-in-law first."
Su Wan'er smiled sweetly, though her dragon-like eyes flashed with competitiveness.
"Hurry up. We must arrive before that wicked woman's people do."
A man-hunter won't take her Yuan Yuan!
Both groups of powerful guards marched forward in perfect formation as their luxurious black suits and hidden cultivation bases caused the entire mall to fall into fearful silence.
Inside the café plaza, Jia Wen placed a delicate hand on her buxom chest as her doll-face face lit up with excitement.
"That must be my man coming to save me!"